Luke 12:1-12 Hypocrisy, Fear and Confession

I. Beware Of Hypocrisy (12:1-3) A. Jesus warns his disciples against becoming like the Pharisees 1. Their hypocrisy is like yeast  a slowly, but surely, corrupting influence a) The acclaim of the crowds will not last b) The desire to impress people can lead to compromise 2. God has made us for integrity, not hypocrisy a) Integrity of message, not deviating from Jesus’s word b) Integrity of character, not saying one thing and doing another B. Jesus gives his disciples the antidote to hypocrisy  an eternal perspective 1. A time is coming when the secrets of the heart will be revealed a) Romans 2:16 …that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus b) 1 Corinthians 4:5 [the Lord] will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. 2. God knows all and nothing can be hidden from him a) Hypocrisy cannot survive God’s judgment b) The scales of divine justice will be brought into balance 3. Jesus is teaching his disciples to think with a kingdom perspective a) Any perceived gain from hypocrisy is ultimately futile b) In a very real sense, the eternal is now II. Fear God…Fear Not (12:4-7) A. Having Christian integrity can bring persecution and death to a disciple 1. Jesus has already warned of his own impending execution 2. His disciples will need fortitude to not compromise or abandon their call B. Jesus  don’t be afraid, all people can do is kill your body  REALITY CHECK 1. The radicalness of Jesus’s perspective comes through a) Normally, physical death would be considered the end of the spectrum b) Jesus again emphasizes an eternal, kingdom-oriented frame of mind 2. A kingdom perspective opposes an expectation of ease and comfort a) God’s messengers  prophets to John the Baptist  rejection/death b) Tacitus – The desire for security stands against every great and noble design C. Jesus  fear God who can kill you physically and spiritually 1. Spiritual death  being cast into hell a) Hell (Grk. Gehenna) is where the punished are put in the last judgment b) Named for a valley where trash and the bodies of criminals were burned c) Also the place where Baal-Molech was worshipped  child sacrifice

2. Without final judgment, there is no basis for maintaining Christian integrity a) God is sovereign over our lives even after earthly life is done b) Jesus’s remarks to his disciples demonstrates this important reality D. Jesus  Fear not, God knows and cares for you intimately 1. For the disciple, God’s sovereignty is a source of comfort, not distress a) God doesn’t forget even the lowliest of his creatures b) He will not forget his own people (Isaiah 49:15) 2. This is true in spite of difficult circumstances and even physical death a) God’s love shown in Jesus Christ b) Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9 III. Acknowledge Jesus Before Men (12:8-12) A. Jesus will provide heavenly testimony for the one who testifies of him on earth 1. The court of public opinion vs a heavenly court of judgment a) Jesus will be for his followers in the divine judgment b) Stephen’s vision is a fulfillment of this promise (Acts 7:55-56) 2. Those who deny Jesus will not receive a heavenly commendation from him 3. Denial of nerve versus a denial of heart a) Peter denied Jesus publically, Judas denied Jesus through betrayal b) Peter was restored – his was a failure of nerve c) Judas’s betrayal was not a failure of nerve, but a heart rejection B. The unforgivable sin – blaspheming the Holy Spirit 1. Speaking against the Son of Man  rejection of Jesus “in the moment” a) The thief crucified with Jesus reviled him before believing in him b) Condition of everyone prior to salvation 2. Possible meanings for blaspheming the Holy Spirit a) Attributing the miracles of God to Satan’s power b) A believer becoming an apostate (denier of Jesus) c) A persistent and decisive rejection of the Spirit’s message and work concerning Jesus 3. A denial or rejection of the manifest saving intervention of God in Jesus a) Such an act places one beyond the reach of God’s means of salvation b) Acts 4:12 C. Public persecution will be an occasion for divine intervention 1. The Holy Spirit will enable one to speak what is necessary 2. Rather than blaspheme the Spirit, one will speak through him IV. Theological Reflections A. Maintaining a kingdom perspective 1. How might an eternal view of things change your day tomorrow? 2. How can one develop this in one’s own life? B.